Unforgettable faces
by Little-Firestar84
Summary: "Relax Danny boy, Teresa would never tell your boss that you aren't who you claim to be. But she could try to talk you into admitting the truth. She is Saint Teresa, after all." In New York City, the last person Jane and Lsibon were expecting to see was Detective Roe Sanders. Or whatever his new name was.


A/N Italian television recently just showed again the first season of the show "Unforgettable", a little gem, in my opinion, and I really felt like writing this little piece (that one day could be expanded in a long story, who knows), because actor Kevin Rankin is present in both the CBS series- as Danny Ruskin, Jane's brother in law in the mentalist (S03) and as one of the regular cast member in Unforgettable.

* * *

They had just arrived at the 117th, Queens, and Lisbon was already pissed. Jane has misbehaved the whole day, and just a look at the team they were going to work with said he meant troubles. He seemed to get along only with Detective Wells- Carrie, she had asked them to call her- saying they were more similar than they thought. He had refused even to share just a single word with Mike Costello, one of the senior detectives, just because he looked too much like Bertram.

"Oh, good, Roe and Nina are back. Agent Lisbon, Mr. Jane" Lieutenant Al Burns started, while they were already busy looking at some files for the case. "Those are my two other detectives. Nina Inara and Roe Sanders"

As soon as they turned to look at the two newcomers, the breath died in Lisbon's throat, and Jane chuckled. It was a surprise, and yet it didn't look like it was unpleasant for thee consultant. The agent wondered if Jane already knew what they were going to see- or better yet, whom they were going to meet - as before their eyes there was none other than his (former) brother-in-law, con artist, carnie raised Danny Ruskin. Only, he was presenting himself as Detective Roe Sanders. A huge difference from the last time they saw each other, when he was conning rich guys for their money acting as a financial advisor of some sort.

"Well, hello detective, nice to meet you" Jane grinned, and Lisbon wondered if Al was going to read something sinister in his chuckling. Because she did. But if they were lucky, Burns was just like any other sane and normal person they were used to meet, and would just assume that Jane was either crazy, strange or a mix of both qualities.

"Likewise. You know what? I didn't have breakfast this morning. Did you want something? Because I just remembered that Tanya asked me if I could grab her something..." Roe said, already on his way to the elevator, as Carrie looked at him with a strange look- Tanya didn't ask for anything while she was there, but who knows, maybe the tech had finally found the courage to ask Roe about something that wasn't work-related…

As the whole scene unfolded right before her, Lisbon tried her best not to meet the eyes of the detectives, and hoped that they didn't hear her sighing. Well, if "Roe's" boss didn't' read anything weird in Jane... he could see it right now in his junior detective. Lisbon barely resisted the urge to face-palm or grunt. She couldn't say anything right now. She couldn't betray Jane because otherwise he would stop to tell her that 30% of work-related things he shared with her, and she couldn't betray Danny's secret because otherwise she would have to explain how he had escaped her custody that time so many years before.

"You know Lisbon, I suddenly feel like having tea. I think I'll research if New York City has a better tea standard than Sacramento. I'll grab a black coffee for you, dear. No milk, no sugar, no cream. Just as you like it." Jane said, grinning, making Lisbon blush as Al and Mike were looking at her with lifted eyebrows. She hated when Jane called her dear. People always made assumption. And right now everyone believed she was sleeping with the married guy. "Detective? Wait for me! I am quite exigent when it comes to my own tea!"

The doors closed, leaving Roe and Jane alone in the small place, with no way to run, and no place to hide. Roe made himself as little as possible, but he already knew he was damned. It was going to be the end of it. For the last few years, he had done his best to build a new life for himself as far away from California as possible. Yes, it was built on a lie, but he wasn't Danny Ruskin any longer. He was Roe Sanders and he loved being that man. He was finally in a good place. He was making his sister proud like he had always wanted to, despite the fact that she wasn't there any longer to see how far he had come.

"It's not a con, I swear." Roe said, turning to look at Jane. The mentalist hadn't uttered a word, but it wasn't like there was any actual need. It was how he worked, after all. "Ok, it is. Well…it was. But it's not any longer. I am changed. She… she kind of changed me."

"Yeah, Lisbon has that effect on men…" Jane admitted, all smug and arrogant. He behaved like he was some sort of…peacock. Only, instead of his body, he showed of his boss, showing around like she was his. Kind of.

"I wasn't talking about your boss, _Paddy" _Roe shouted at low voice, gritting his teeth "I was talking about Tanya, I… I have a sort of relationship with her. Well… I am working on it.!"

"Oh, yeah, sure, sure, I was joking, I know you weren.t talking about Lisbon" he said, trying desperately to minimize the damage. "Relax, Danny boy. Lisbon's not gonna rattle you to your boss. She could try to talk you into doing it yourself, though. You know Saint Teresa..." He changed topic. A new topic was safe. He really didn't feel like keeping talking about how he felt about Lisbon. Not with his late wife's brother, at least.

"Yeah, well, I am actually more scared about you. After all, I did told you we were even after you covered up my ass last time."

'We'll never be even, Danny boy." Jane whispered, looking at the ground.

Roe immediately regretted the words as soon as he saw Jane's face. He knew what he was thinking, but, he didn't agree with him any longer. He had once told Carrie the same thing. As good as it was that they were seeking justice for their lost ones- Annie, Charlie and Rachel- it wasn't their fault. Jane had spoken, and Carrie had hid from her sister that day in the woods while they were playing, but it wasn't their fault. Someone else killed them. Not them. And vengeance wasn't going to bring them back. Justice could give hem closure. Other blood would just condemn them all.

Jane didn't add anything-Roe knew he didn't have to- and for the duration of the case, they barely spoke with each other. Lisbon guessed it was all right. After all, they had both come to hate and regret the men they used to be. It was logical, in a twisted kind of way, that they were pretending they never existed to begin with. Many years before she had told Jane that the only way to move on was to leave his old life behind. Danny had just done it, and it looked like he was doing pretty good. She hoped it wasn't a scheme of his, but if it wasn't, the guy was finally in a good place with his life, and Teresa Lisbon was quite proud for having made it possible.

As, few days and a case closed later, they were leaving New York, and he and Lisbon were already in line, Jane turned to give a last look at his temporary team.

"You know detective Sanders... My late wife, Angela... you remember me a lot her brother. Only, a better version. Had you been her Danny... she would have loved your girlfriend. And... you too, I guess."

Roe smiled, and chuckled. "And I had a sister. She would have liked you too. And would have approved of agent Lisbon. She had always wanted for her husband to be happy again, was something going to happen to her."

As Lisbon blushed and grabbed her consultant for his shirt, Carrie smiled.

She had just remembered the picture in Roe's apartment, the one of his late sister on her wedding day. And the groom looked a lot like Patrick Jane.

* * *

A/N 2 the reason Jane doesn't like Costello because he finds he looks like Bertram is the fact that yes, the same actor plays them both.


End file.
